RENO, Nevada – Drone delivery pioneer Flirtey has been granted a patent for drone delivery of packages.
The patent describes a combination of hardware and software that enables the delivery of packages by a drone, potentially lifting the package to pick it up, holding it securely and lowering it at the point of delivery.
Flirtey’s drone delivers its contents by lowering a tether, while the drone is hovering, and once the package is delivered, it then retracts the tether. Flirtey invented this method of delivery to be the safest and most precise, and it has since become the standard for the drone delivery industry.
Flirtey’s new patent describes a drone with a suspension mechanism, used to hold a package that is to be delivered or picked up, a locking mechanism to hold and release the package, and a package delivery mechanism to deliver the package.
“We are thrilled that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted Flirtey another patent that is fundamental to safe and precise drone delivery. This is not pie in the sky; this is the foundation of safe delivery and/or pickup of packages from the sky,” said Matthew Sweeny, Flirtey founder and CEO.
Earlier this year, the startup was granted a patent that enhances its intellectual technology with an additional component to safety while a drone is in flight and when it is delivering a package. The patent recognizes the ability of a drone’s technology to detect an error in operation while the drone is in flight, ultimately deploying a safety mechanism, if necessary. This action further alleviates the risk of contact and/or injury to bystanders, while also sparing the unmanned aircraft.
Flirtey holds over 25 patents, granted and pending, in the United States and worldwide.
The company made history in 2015 when it conducted the first ever FAA-approved drone delivery.
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